Ship and submarine salvaging device



y 1950 E. ZAECH 2,936,194

SHIP AND SUBMARINE SALVAGING DEVICE Filed July 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 27 49 l fl J III I ll 14 43 22 2/ 2: 16/ 5 28 25 //VV[/V;P 5

my. wan/J May 10, 1960 E. ZAECH 2,936,194

SHIP AND SUBMARINE SALVAGING DEVICE Filed July 8, 1957 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent SHIP AND SUBMARINE SALVAGE- NC} DEVICE 1 Emile Zaech, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application July 8, 1957, Serial No. 670,479

3 Claims. (Cl. 29465.5)

The invention relates to a ship and submarine salvaging device as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features of construction as pointed out broadly and specifically in the claims for novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail; of an acceptable form of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to devise an attaching means to be applied to the hull of a ship, submarine or other object and which will be fastened thereto and controlled from the surface of the water and which will be accomplished by explosive action, remotely controlled,

v for causing the penetration of the fastening members,

such as studs, into the hull or other object for tightlysecuring the device to the object to be raised; to facilitate the work of divers and others in this raising operation and permitting the persons engaged in salvaging operations to extend their depth of operations greater than can be accomplished up to the present time, and generally to provide a means for raising a ship, submarine or other sunken object that will be durable in construction, easy to handle and operate and efiicient for its purpose. In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the gripping assembly including where the hoist and control mechanisms are incontact with the same. 7

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the gripping assembly showing the gripping side of the same that will be in direct contact with the sunken object to be raised.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view as taken alon the line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of an acceptable type of cartridge and stud that may be used.

Figure 5 is a side sectional view of the assembly as attached to a hull or other object to be raised.

Figure 6 is a view to illustrate a gripping assembly being attached to the hull of a sunken vessel to be raised and which is directed by a diver located in a diving bell.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, the salvaging means consists of a plurality of assembly units that are adapted to be applied directly to the contour surface of the sunken object which is to he raised to the surface of the water. Each of these assembly units are let down into the water from the surface by suitable means and are directed by a diver, who may be in a diving bell, for bringing the assembly unit into contact with the sunken object and which may be controlled and operated by suitable means from above the surface of the water or from the diving bell or by the combination of both means as desired.

Each assembly unit consists of an outer shell 115 and a magnetized main gripping member or body 16, and is provided with one or more loops 17 which are integral or otherwise secured to the outer shell. More than one hoist connection may be made to the assembly, if it is so desired, such as on the side as well as on the periphery or edge in accordance with the size of the assembly and its particular application.

The outer shell has an inner shoulder 18 which engages with the peripheral inner edge 19 of the gripping member and is also provided with an internally threaded flaring flange 20 which engages with the externally threaded shoulder portion '21 of the gripping member.

The magnetized gripping member has the peripheralbase 22 at the end of the shoulder portion 21 and extends therebeyond to form a flange 23 and against which the flaring flange 20 abuts. A gasket 24 is introduced between the flange 23 and the flange 20 of the gripping member and outer shell respectively.

The gripping member 16 fits into the lower portion of the outer shell and is securely fastened thereto, as in the above manner, or in any other suitable way. The gripping member 16 has a main body 25 following the contour of the outer shell and has a plurality of orifices 26 extending therethrough and forming the receptacles for the cartridge stud units 27.

The cartridge studs 27 are inserted in the orifices 26 of the main body 25 and are adapted to be exploded individually, or in sets of two or more, as required for fastening the gripping member to the hull of a ship, submarine or other object. The orifices for the studs have the enlarged portions 29 forming a seat for the ignition member 34) and the bushing 31 in which the power charge loads or cartridges 32 are inserted and are provided with retaining rings 33 located in the grooves 34 of the orifices. The studs are introduced in the borings of the orifices and are adapted to be driven out from the barrels, which in this case, are formed. by the orifices themselves, for penetration into the object to be raised and thereby securely fastening the gripping assembly to the object.

The stud itself is provided with longitudinal grooves 35 around its periphery and located adjacent to its tapered end and includes the usual hardened point 36 and the head 37. The guide member 38 is formed of plastic or equivalent material and is in the shape of a tapered socket having the guiding flange 39 for contact with the bore of the orifice. The guide members engage with the points of the studs and together with the heads of the studs effect a double guide for each of the studs. The threaded portion of each stud also aids in the guiding of the stud through the reduced diameter portion 40 of the stud and penetrates, with the shank of the stud, into the object that is to be fastened to the assembly unit. It is of course understood that other types of ex' plosive power driven studs may be used to accomplish the same purpose.

Adjacent to the orifices 26 for the cartridge stud units are located the exhaust passageways 28 extending through the main body and being parallel with the orifices 26 and having communicating passageways 4d therewith, the exhaust passageways 28 discharging into the cham ber 42 which is located between the inner portions of the outer shell and the magnetized gripping member 16. Similarly exhaust passageways 43 are formed through the peripheral base of the main body and lead to the tapered gasket 24.

The assembly is provided with a rubber suction cuplike gasket or ring 44 around its periphery which is for the purpose of being brought into direct contact with the hull, body or other object to be raised from the depths of the water so as to form a water seal around the periphery of the assembly and that part of the hull body to which the assembly has been attached.

A carbon plate 47 extends across the undersurface of the magnetized gripping member so as to seal the orifices thereof from the ingress of water and being made of such material as to permit the magnetism of the gripping member to penetrate therethrough and therebeyond and also to be easily penetrable by the studs.

The outer shell has a central orifice to allow the control-connections of the explosive studs and magnet units to-vpass through, and a cap 45 is provided to close the central orifice, which cap is screwed or otherwise secured to the outer shell. This cap is provided with the passageway 46 through which the connections pass and from thence to the control mechanisms located above the surface of the water.

. Adjacent to the cap 45 and surrounding the same are located a plurality of orifices or slots 48 forming exhaust ports for the escapement of spent gases that may have accumulated in the chamber 42 and in which the pressure created by such gases is greater than the pressureof the water which surrounds the assembly unit.

When such an event occurs the exhaust pressure will force the tapered portion of the sealing gasket 49, covering the orificesor slots 48, to open against the exterior water pressure and allow the exhaust gases to escape.

After the pressure has been reduced within the chamber, the water pressure will automatically cause the sealing gasket to close and thus prevent the water from entering into the chamber.

' In the operation of the salvaging device, the gripping assemblies are taken over the location of the sunken hull or other object and dropped down into the water by a hoist mechanism to the allocated spot where the diver will direct the assembly for contact with the contour of the hull. When the assembly is brought in contact with the contour of the hull, the suction cup ring which extends around the outer circumferential edge of the assembly will form a temporary connecting seal between the assembly and the skin of the bull, or other object to be raised, and, at the same time the magnetized gripping member of the assembly will fasten itself to the selected portion of the hull or other object and effect a temporary jointure therewith. The means for energizing and fin'ng the explosive powered studs is then operated so as to fasten the hull or other object to the assembly securely. After this has been accomplished, all that is necessary 'to do is to raise the hull or other object by suitable means.

While it has been shown and described certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of both modifications and variation from the form shown, so that the scope thereof should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. In a submarine salvaging device, an assembly unit, an outer shell, a magnetized body following the contour of the inner circumference of the outer shell and secured thereto and forming the outer contacting surface for the assembly unit, said magnetized body having a plurality of orifices extending therethrough and forming retaining seats for explosive units,a power drivenstud connected to each of said explosive units and adapted to be partially expelled from the unit for engagement with the salvage to which the unit is to be attached and means for detonating the studs either'individually or otherwise.

2. In a submarine salvaging device, an assembly unit, an outer shell having an internally threaded portion at I its open end, a magnetized block forming a gripping member threadily engaged with the open end of said outer shell and having a plurality of orifices extending therethrough and forming retaining seats for explosive units, a power driven stud connected to each of said explosive units and adapted to be partially expelled from the unit for engagement with the salvage to which the unit is to be attached, said magnetized block having a plurality of exhaust passageways extending'parallel withsaid orifices forming the explosive units, a chamber formed in said assembly unit and located between the inner portion of said magnetized block and the inner portion of said outer shell and adapted to receive the exhaust gases from the studs when discharged from the explosive units.

3. In a submarine salvaging device, an assembly unit, an outer shell having an internally threaded portion at its outer end, a magnetized body following the contour of the inner circumference of the outer shell and externally threaded for engagement with the internally threaded portion of said outer shell and having a contact surface for engagement with the object to be salvaged, a circumferential suction cup extending exteriorally from said magnetized block and forming a part of the same for suction contact with the article to be raised, said magnetized block having a plurality of orifices extending therethrough and forming receptacles, studs for explosive installations located in the orifices of said magnetized block, a cap secured to the rear wall of said shell to close an opening formed in the wall and having a communicating connection leading exten'orally therefrom, a plurality of ports extending through said wall and surrounding said cap, a sealing member secured to said cap and said shell and closing the ports of said shell and adapted to automatically open and close in accordance with the pressure effected exteriorally or internally of the assembly unit, and loops secured to said assembly unit from which means may be connected for raising the sunken object.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,365,869 Temple Ian. 18, 1921 1,388,363 Miller Aug. 23, 1921 2,468,729 Black May 3, 1949 2,789,005 Foster Apr. 16, 1957 

